Simon Calder

A light-hearted and impressionistic account of travelling the length of the Pyrenees from west to east, Calder and Webb’s book explores the variety of the mountains, their inhabitants, history and geography. They describe their walks with humour and an insight into the region as they mainly follow the GR10 path with digressions onto the Haute Randonée Pyrénéenne and other paths. Their travels are spread over several years as they cover sections of the path and their walking is interspersed with journeys by rail, bus and hitchhiking which gives them a greater chance of meeting local characters.
They give great entertainment and a good introduction to the area, but this is not a guide to the route if you are undertaking a walk along the GR10. At times, their haphazard planning and overoptimistic timetable prove annoying and frustratingly. the book could have been enhanced by a map to accompany each chapter to show the authors’ meandering route.… (mere)